Kichijoten (English name) Śrimahādevī

Japanese: 吉祥天 - きちじょうてん（英語表記）Śrimahādevī

A Buddhist goddess. Originally appearing in the Vedas and Hinduism, she is said to bring beauty, good fortune, prosperity, and abundance. One theory is that she was a fertility goddess of the indigenous people before the Aryans invaded India. In Hinduism, she is considered the consort of Vishnu and is also called Sri Lakshmi, but there is a theory that Sri and Lakshmi were originally separate beings, and that they merged in the Upanishads. In Buddhism, she is considered the consort of Bishamonten, and is also said to bring wealth, beauty, prosperity, and abundance. Her appearance is usually that of a noblewoman in Chinese clothing, and she is most often a standing statue holding a jewel in her left hand, but there are also seated statues. In Japan, she has been worshiped since the 8th century, and many sculptures and images remain. Famous sculptures from the 8th century include the Hokke-do Hall (Sangetsu-do, plastic) at Todai-ji Temple, the dry lacquer statue at Horyuji Temple, the dry lacquer statue at Saidai-ji Temple in Nara, and the copper plate extrusion statue at Toshodai-ji Temple. Many statues were made in various places in the Heian period, including Taima-dera Temple in Nara, Horyu-ji Temple, Koryu-ji Temple in Kyoto, Anyo-ji Temple in Okayama, Gakugyo-in Temple in Tottori, and Bishamon-do in Narushima, Iwate. Representative works from the Kamakura period include the statues at Joruri-ji Temple in Kyoto and Enjo-ji Temple in Shiga. Another well-known example of a seated statue is the statue at Kofuku-ji Temple in Nara (from the Northern and Southern Courts period). The image shows a famous statue from the Tenpyo period handed down at Yakushi-ji Temple in Nara.

Kisshoten

Please see the "Kichijoten" page.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

仏教の女神。本来はベーダおよびヒンドゥー教に現れ，美，幸運，繁栄，豊穣をもたらす神とされる。一説にはアーリア人がインドに侵入する以前の，先住民のもつ豊穣の女神かともいわれる。ヒンドゥー教では，ビシュヌ神の神妃とされ，シュリー・ラクシュミーとも呼ばれるが，元来シュリー女神はラクシュミー女神と別個のものであり，ウパニシャッドにおいて互いに融合したという説がある。仏教では毘沙門天の妃とされ，同様に富，美，繁栄，豊穣をもたらすとされる。像容は普通，唐服の貴女の姿で，左手に玉を持つ立像が最も多いが坐像もある。日本では 8世紀以来信仰され，残された彫像，画像も多い。彫像では 8世紀のものとして東大寺法華堂（三月堂，塑造），法隆寺のほか奈良西大寺の乾漆像，唐招提寺の銅板押出像などが有名。平安時代には各地で多数つくられ，奈良当麻寺，法隆寺，京都広隆寺，岡山安養寺，鳥取学行院，岩手成島の毘沙門堂などの諸像がある。鎌倉時代の代表作として京都浄瑠璃寺，滋賀園城寺の像があげられる。また坐像の作例では奈良興福寺の像（南北朝時代）が知られる。画像では奈良薬師寺に伝わる天平時代作のものが著名。